Now it is true that pines, firs, and other evergreens bear a sort of cone, which contains their seed; and Rollo’s father thought, from Rollo’s description, that it was one of these cones which Rollo had found. In fact, the cone was somewhat similar in shape, though, if he had shown it to his father, he would have known immediately that it was a very different thing. Rollo put his hand into his pocket to show the supposed hemlock-seed to his father, but it was not there. He had left it out in the play room.
“Very well,” said his father, “I don’t know that I ever saw the cone of the hemlock; but, very probably, this is one of them. But go on, about the pocket-book.”
“Well, sir,—when we got home, I took out the medicines, but the pocket-book was nowhere to be found; and I have been back with James, and we have looked all along the road, and under the hemlock-tree, and we have inquired at the apothecary’s; but we cannot find it any where.”
“How much money was there in the wallet?” said his father.
“Half a dollar, and a little more,” said Rollo.
Rollo’s father felt somewhat relieved at finding that the loss was, after all, not very large. He placed confidence in Rollo’s account of the facts, and having thus ascertained how the case stood, he began to consider what was to be done.
“It is a case of bailment,” said he to Rollo, “and the question is, whether you are liable.”
“A case of what?” said Rollo.
“Bailment,” said his father. “When one person intrusts another with his property for any purpose, it is called bailing it to him. The wallet and the money were bailed to you. The law relating to such transactions is called the law of bailment. And the question is, whether, according to the law of bailment, you ought to pay for this loss.”
Rollo seemed surprised at such a serious and legal view of the subject being taken; he waited, however, to hear what more his father had to say.